Easy Instant Pot Butter Chicken

This easy Instant Pot Butter Chicken recipe is so good and perfect for a mid-week dinner. It’s made with simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand and it can easily be whipped up in little to no time.

To be honest, I had no clue what butter chicken was until I stumbled upon it in the frozen section at Trader Joe’s. The frozen entree didn’t have too many ingredients in it, so I thought I would give it a try. It seemed like the perfect go-to meal for days when I forgot to make a lunch for work.

When I tried the frozen entree, I was actually surprised at how good it tasted! I was expecting it to taste bland and slightly freezer burned. To my surprise, the Trader Joe’s butter chicken was loaded with flavor and super creamy from the heavy whipping cream.

I’m not too familiar with Indian cuisine, so I did a little bit of research on Pinterest and Youtube to come up with my very own recipe. I tried cooking the butter chicken in various ways, and this recipe I’m about to share with you was the winner.

What is Butter Chicken?

Butter chicken is an Indian dish where chicken is coated in a tomato sauce loaded with different spices. The flavorful tomato sauce is elevated to the next level by adding lots of butter 😁 and heavy whipping cream. This combination makes the butter chicken very creamy and rich in flavor.

There are many ways to make butter chicken. Some people like coating their chicken with greek yogurt before browning it, but when I tried this, it didn’t seem to make a considerable difference. For my recipe, I kept the cooking process very simple.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Most of the ingredients I’m about to list are fairly common, which means you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. The only ingredient you may have to go out and purchase is the spice, Garam Marsala. This spice blend is made up of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin, black pepper, and coriander. Technically I could have made this spice blend myself, but I probably would have gotten the ratios wrong.

You’ve probably seen this spice many times in your grocery store, but never really knew what it was for. I ended up finding my Garam Marsala at Whole Foods and Vons. Once you have the Garam Marsala, you should be ready to make your Instant Pot Butter Chicken. Here are the ingredients you will need:

• Tomato Sauce
• Chicken breasts or thighs
• Garlic cloves
• Ginger
• Tumeric
• Cayenne Pepper
• Paprika
• Garam Masala
• Cumin
• Butter
• Heavy whipping cream

How to make Instant Pot Butter Chicken

• Pour the tomato sauce into the Instant Pot along with the spices and minced garlic.
• Add the chicken to the tomato mixture and coat evenly.
• Place the lid on the Instant Pot and secure it to a sealing position.
• Set the Instant Pot to manual pressure for 15 minutes.
• Once the time goes off, quickly release the pressure, but BE CAREFUL!
• Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and set aside on a cutting board.
• Press cancel on the Instant Pot, followed by the saute button.
• While the tomato mixture if coming to a boil, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.
• Once the tomato mixture is boiling, add the butter and stir until it completely melts.
• Once the butter is melted, press cancel on the Instant Pot to end the saute function.
• Add the heavy whipping cream and mix thoroughly.
• Once the heavy whipping cream is fully incorporated, add the chicken back to the Instant Pot and mix.
• Serve over rice and enjoy!

What to serve with Instant Pot Butter Chicken

I normally serve my Instant Pot Butter Chicken with a side of white rice and vegetables. My favorite go-to vegetable is broccoli, but you can really use any vegetable you like.

To stick with the Indian cuisine theme, you can also add some naan bread from the frozen section at Trader Joe’s. All you need to do is warm up the naan bread in the oven for a few minutes until it is warm and fragrant. Trader Joe’s naan bread is so good and loaded with spices and garlic. If you’re Mexican, naan bread is equivalent to eating your food with a tortilla. It’s so good!

Low carb option

If you’re eating low carb, you can always substitute the white rice for cauliflower rice. I do this all the time and my butter chicken still tastes amazing. I promise, you won’t feel like you’re missing out.

Since this Instant Pot Butter Chicken recipe is relatively low carb on its own, you really just need to modify your sides if you’re watching your carb intake.

Butter Chicken Recipe Card

If you’re never tried butter chicken, you’re missing out! I wish I had more traditional Indian resturants near me, but since I don’t, I will have to settle with making my own. And not to toot my own horn, but I think my Instant Pot Butter Chicken recipe is pretty darn good.

If you want to purchase a similar Instant Pot to the one I have, click here.

Checkout some of my other Instant Pot Recipes